Amano - worth the visit?

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Amano - worth the visit?
From: Neil Frank <nfrank at mindspring_com>
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 06:27:16 -0500

>From: richardm at cd_com (Richard Masoner)
>Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 15:52:46 -0600 (CST)
>Subject: Amano - worth the visit?
>
>I'll be going to Japan in a few weeks to visit my folks and I was
>wondering a couple of things:
>
> * Does Amano have any kind of visitor facilities?

Yes, he has a "regular" aquarium shop. However, it is not regular by western
standards. I should say he has an extraordinary aquarium shop in Niigata. It
has dozens of tanks that look just as nice as the pictures in his books.
>
> * If so, is it worth going way out to the boondocks in Niigata to
>   take a look?  I've never been to the western coast of Japan
>   before.

For me the answer is a resounding YES. However, everything about Japan was
fascinating to me. I should say that gettting to the western part is not
very convenient. There are no flights from Tokyo. You would have to take the
bullet train.... this is a 2 hour ride (one way); so you need one whole day
just to visit his place. 
Neil Frank      TAG editor         Raleigh, NC